Shedding

I seem to need a lot of time to think about things before posting them on this blog site.



For instance, after years of dreaming, we purchased our own home in April. In fact, the series of events that drove this decision were, without doubt, from God.



We had lived in a manse since moving to Chatham in 2004, and the manse needed some upgrading, specifically in the 1970s original kitchen.



The church, knowing how poor the function of this space was, were digging deeply into their pockets to find the money for an upgrade.



I suggested to my husband that perhaps it might be a good idea to "test the waters" about purchasing our own home before the renovations were made. I would feel obligated to stay in the house if it were renovated for us!



At the next Board meeting, the question was asked: "How would they feel about us purchasing our own home." As the owners of an aging building requiring some work in the future, the response was, in many cases, relief.



We started to make plans. Because of the impending tax changes, we decided to make purchasing before the change our deadline.



Our real estate agent showed us many, many houses. Some were wonderful. Some were sad, some were lovely. Some were suitable.



We had finally seen a house that we liked, and were prepared to put an offer in on it, when she asked us if we would like to see one more house. It was not in our neighbourhood, which was a consideration, and right across from a high school where our children would not be attending (they are in French Immersion and it is not offered at that school). We went to see it. Why not?



From the moment we walked in the door, my husband was home. A beautiful raised ranch, with gorgeous hardwood floors, and a very functional layout.



It got better the more we looked, and finally, in the basement, the biggest selling feature - two "extra" rooms. They needed finishing, but the potential was huge.



The price of this prize? A wee bit above our top range, but still well within our financial capability.



The next hurdle was the kids. "Across from that high school?" "Are you kidding?". By the time they had seen the whole house, they asked us to put in an offer on it.



There was little dickering. We offered, they countered, we put in our final, top offer, and left it at that. It was accepted, and the papers signed that evening. It was a Sunday. We left the rest to our Real Estate Agent.



Monday morning, a house inspector called. He had an opening that day. We agreed to meet him at the house.



We arrived that afternoon in time to see our Real Estate agent turning away a group of prospective purchasers. I guess they didn't get the memo! They were annoyed, as they were prepared to make a cash offer.



The inspection passed with flying colours.



Tuesday, we received a call from our Mortgage Broker. We were golden, and he had gotten us a deal just before the rates went up by more than one percentage point.



All of the people who needed to be contacted were, and we set a closing date of April 22, since all conditions had been lifted.



On Thursday, we called for an energy audit, as it was apparent that the furnace and air conditioning would need updating. It was the day that the program was cancelled without warning by the government. Because we got on the list that day, we were still eligible for the incentives.



By the end of that week, everything was in place for us to move in, and we started packing.



We have now been in the home for several months. Every inspector that has seen it has told us what en excellent house it is - well built and attractive.



We still have a number of projects to do, but we are enjoying our own big, beautiful home. And we have great neighbours, too.

Truly, this is the house that God had in his plan for us. That is why he cleared all the obstacles out of our way and helped us to settle in our own, beautiful, home.